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Front Axle Beam Grease
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avoll
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PostPosted: Tue May 11, 2021 11:18 pm    Post subject: Front Axle Beam Grease Reply with quote

What grease is everyone using for the front axle beam?
Thanks
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P24p1
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PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2021 5:40 am    Post subject: Re: Front Axle Beam Grease Reply with quote

According to this, and the manual:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8084409

Any multi-purpose lithium based grease will work.

I'll probably be using this from my local Canadian Tire to grease mine, hopefully it gives you an idea.

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/motomaster-farm-truck-grease-400-g-0280840p.html#srp

Also this video may prove helpful: https://thelills.com/how-to-grease-front-end-zerks-on-a-vw-bus/

On a side note, my grease cap in the middle of the front axle beam fell off (I still have it, found it on the ground) and doesn't seem to have a way of holding it in place. Is there like a wire, or a bolt I'm missing? Or is it just really finger tight?
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Manfred58sc
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PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2021 5:47 am    Post subject: Re: Front Axle Beam Grease Reply with quote

I've switched to full synthetic Super Lube, repels water and has far better lab tests . You will notice an improvement right away ( Ive been servicing my Bus beam for 35 years, wait- that could sound wrong...).

Anyway, $22 for a large tube
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Wildthings
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PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2021 6:41 am    Post subject: Re: Front Axle Beam Grease Reply with quote

Its a bushing so a #2 moly grease will work fine.

The original caps were a high tensile steel and fit tight while the present replacements have little strength at all and tend to be easily force off. Since I have a screw jack on hand to raise the front axle beam anyway (as suggested by VW when lubing the beam) I just put the jack under the cap when lubing the center joint so it can't be blown off.

Note that the Bay center joint were sloppy from day 1 onward, as the bushing are presized and thus can't be made tight enough. If you buy a kit for a splitty and rent the reamer, you can custom size the bushing to your shaft after the bushing is pressed into place. Done correctly this will give you tighter steering.
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raygreenwood
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PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2021 6:49 am    Post subject: Re: Front Axle Beam Grease Reply with quote

Manfred58sc wrote:
I've switched to full synthetic Super Lube, repels water and has far better lab tests . You will notice an improvement right away ( Ive been servicing my Bus beam for 35 years, wait- that could sound wrong...).

Anyway, $22 for a large tube



Yes....in a lot of ways, superlube would be ideal for the front beam. High performance and it stays soft and flowable over a wider temp range.

The problem I see with the entire front beam system....and I have said this many times over the years...but there is not much the "average" VW driver can do so I quit bitching about it......the amount of beams I have seen (both on cars and in junkyards) over the decades...that have rusted into oblivion from the inside out ....due to mixing of greases and the reaction that will eventually happen as the metals and saponifiers start to break down and become acidic/corrosive............

I really wish that it were easy to clean the beam out every so often so you can clean out the old greases.

ALL grease....will eventually start to break down. Virtually all of it slowly starts to absorb moisture over the years from the outside in. As moisture gets absorbed, the metals in the greases oxidize. The PH changes.....the grease breaks down and corrosion accelerates. It eats metal.

The whole point to this rant....Mixing grease bases and/or EP metals....accelerates this big time.

I hate to hear people say...."as long as you are adding "some" grease to the beam (as compared to none) you will be fine"....while that is 100% correct....without being able to get the old grease out or knowing what is already in there....it starts an ugly process.

And yes....superlube has very low reactivity and breakdown
Ray
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avoll
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PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2021 3:33 pm    Post subject: Re: Front Axle Beam Grease Reply with quote

Anyone try using CM grease?
Like Halfords CM grease, or Mobilgrease CM?
Thanks for the help, and information.
I don't think my 78 has been greased since the factory, or dealership.
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Wildthings
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PostPosted: Wed May 12, 2021 10:48 pm    Post subject: Re: Front Axle Beam Grease Reply with quote

avoll wrote:
Anyone try using CM grease?
Like Halfords CM grease, or Mobilgrease CM?
Thanks for the help, and information.
I don't think my 78 has been greased since the factory, or dealership.


The CM-P grease is a moly grease so should be fine. Can't say about any of the others.
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airschooled
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PostPosted: Thu May 13, 2021 11:07 am    Post subject: Re: Front Axle Beam Grease Reply with quote

There is a reason VW states to “pump until fresh grease flows out,” and not “pump a little.” Cool
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